Crib music box controlled by drop side of crib



Nov. 13, 1956 v. JBUKOLT 2,769,988

CRIB MUSIC BOX CONTROLLED BY DROP SIDE OF CRIB INVENTOR Vicroe tZlBuxou;

ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1956 Filed Oct. 19, 1953 V. J. BUKOLT CRIB MUSIC BOXCONTROLLED BY DROP SIDE OF CRIB Fag. 3.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Ra A3 F /7 le 4 :27 24 fi v i9 fi 22 201 /3 2/ n 23 3{L 3 9 (g INVENTOR Vicro/z 'EZ-BUKOLJ;

ATTORNEY United States Patent CRIB MUSIC BOX CONTROLLED BY DROP SIDE OFCRIB Victor J. Bukolt, Stevens Point, Wis. Application October 19, 1953,Serial No. 386,755 3 Claims. (Cl. -317) This invention relates to cribshaving drop sides, and it contemplates the mounting of a Swiss music boxon the stabilizing side bar of a crib and controlling the operation ofthe box by the movement of a drop side of the crib.

The Swiss music box plays a series of musical notes by the action of thepins of a spring driven cylinder on the elements of a reed comb, and ithas a pull string to wind up the driving spring. One end of the stringis detachably fastened to the crib drop side so that when the latter islet down it automatically pulls the string or cord of the wind-upmechanism to load the drive spring, and so long as the drop side remainsin its lowered position the music box will not play. However, when thedrop side is raised to its elevated position, the tension on the cord isrelaxed, and the music box automatically starts playing and willcontinue to play the simple tune or series of musical notes until thecord is completely drawn into the mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive meansof the indicated character which may be readily applied to one of thecrib side bars located directly underneath the mattress spring frame ofthe crib, and which may be quickly and easily disconnected from the dropside if the operation of the music box is not desired.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionresides in the novel combinations struction hereinafter described andclaimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show thepresent preferred embodiments of the invention.

lowered position in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 22 in Fig. l on anenlarged scale, the drop side being shown in its elevated position;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged detail section of a part of Fig.

Fig. 4 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in sectionshowing the drop side latching means at one end of the crib.

Fig.

2,641,775, June 16, 1953. The crib comprises two end members 11, twodrop sides 12 vertically slidable on the guide rods 13 inwardly offsetfrom the corner post portions of the end members, a mattress supportingspring frame 14 suitably supported within the sides and ends, and twoside bars 15 rigidly connecting the end members to stabilize the cribframe. The stabilizing bars 15 are rectangular wood bars located belowthe spring frame 14 in inwardly offset relation to the planes of thedrop sides and rigidly connected at their ends by metal brackets 16 tothe corner post portions of the end members 11. Each drop side comprisesupper and lower longitudinal rails or bars 17 and 18 connected byupright rods or spindles, the ends of the bars 17 and 18 being aperturedto receive and slide on the rods 13 at one side of the crib.

Since each drop side has the same construction and operation, thefollowing description of one applies to both. The bottom bar 18 ismovable between upper and lower stops and at each end is a springprojected latch rod 19, the two latches being simultaneously retractedby a foot operated trip 20 located centrally on the bar. The upwardmovement of the bar is limited by its ends engaging stop arms 21 onupright bracket portions 22 which may be parts of the brackets 16, andthese bracket portions 22 have keeper lugs 23 which are engaged by thelatches 19 to lock the drop side in its up position. The downwardmovement of the bar 18 is limited by cushioning springs on the rods 13and apertured arms in which these rods are disposed, the arms projectingfrom brackets 24 on the end members, as seen in Fig. l. The brackets 24have keeper lugs 25 to coact with the latches 19 and lock the drop sidein its down position. The foot trip 20 is a substantially U-shaped rodhaving its arms pivoted in bearings 26 on the inner face of the bar 18and is constructed to actuate T-shaped levers 27 set in recesses in thebar and connected to the inner ends of the latch rods 19, as will beunderstood on reference to Fig. 4 and to the above mentioned patent. Thefoot trip or bar has its central portion outwardly offset so that it maybe conveniently pushed inward by the knee or foot to retract the latchesagainst the tension of the springs 28.

The music box with its spring winding mechanism is mounted on thestabilizing bar 15 adjacent its center and opposite the latch trip lever20. The music mechanism is of the type shown in the Mueller et a1.Patent N 0. 2,519,782, August 22, 1950. It comprises a base casting 30fastened by screws 31 to the inner face of the rectangular side bar 15,as seen in Fig. 5. On it is fastened a reed comb 32 operated by the pinson a cylinder 33. On the shaft of the pin carrying cylinder are a largegear 34 and a small gear 35. Gear 34 drives a train of gear 36 tooperate a governor or air brake 37. Gear 35 meshes with a gear 38disposed within the casing 39 for a spring 40 one end of which isanchored at 41 to the casing. The spring is coiled about a transverseshaft 42 to which the other end of the spring is anchored. The shaft 42extends through the base 33 and has fixed to its projection end a spoolor drum 43 for the string or cord 44 by means of which the spring iswound. The gear 38 is connected to the shaft 42 by a one-way driveratchet connection (not shown), so that the spring may be wound up whenthe cord 44 is pulled without rotating the pin carrying cylinder 33 butwhen the cord is released the spring in unco-iling will drive the gear38 and hence rotate the cylinder to actuate the reed comb. The innerface by the screws The cord is preferably made of nylon and has one endanchored to the drum. Its free end passes out of the recess through anupright bore 45 in the bar 15. As shown the bore opens into a transversecord guiding groove or channel 47 in the upper edge of the bar, but

the casting 30 might be mounted in a reversed position so that the freeend of the cord would extend downwardly out of the bore.

The free extremity of the pull cord may be detachably connected to thedrop side in any suitable manner so that when the latter is moved to itsdown position the cord will be pulled to wind the drive spring, and whenthe drop side is then raised to its up position, the slack in the cordwill allow the spring to drive the cylinder and cause the cord to berewound on the drum, as will be understood on reference to Figs. 2 and3. One way of detachably fastening the cord to the drop side is byproviding on its free end a snap hook 48 which may be easily snapped onand off of the trip lever 20.

To protect the music box mechanism it is enclosed in a rectangular sheetmetal casing 49 shown in Fig. 7. The two upright ends 50 of the casingabut the inner face of the bar 15 at the ends of the casting 30 whilethe top and bottom walls 51 are made wider to overlap the top and bottomfaces 52 of the bar 15. Small nails or screws 53 are used to removablysecure the projecting portions of the top and bottom of the casingto thebar. In the top of the casing is a notch 54 at a point which overliesthe bore 46 and groove 47.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made forcarrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences havebeen disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of makingvariations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination of a crib having end members connected by astabilizing bar, a slidable drop side with guiding means therefore onthe end members, said drop side being movable vertically with respect tothe stabilizing bar from a lowered position in which the crib is openand the bottom of the bar to an elevated position in which the crib isclosed and the bottom of the drop side is above the stabilizing bar, amusic box mechanism mounted on said stabilizing bar and having a springdriven Winding drum and a pull drop side is below the stabilizing cordto wind up its spring when the cord is pulled out of the box, and meansdetachably connecting the free end of the pull cord to the bottomportion of said drop side, the construction and arrangement being suchthat when the drop side is moved to its lowered open position the cordwill be pulled out of the box and held taut to prevent operation of themusic box, and when the drop side is then moved to its elevated closedposition, the cord will be slackened and the music box will operateuntil the slack in the cord is taken up.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said drop side carries at its endsspring projected locking latches to coact with keepers on said endmembers and at its center a U-shaped rod forming a foot trip lever toretract said latches, and in which said detachable connecting means is asnap hook on the free end of the cord detachably engaged with said rod.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said stabilizing bar is ofrectangular shape in cross section and has a recess on its inner face, avertical bore extending from said recess through the top of the bar anda transverse groove in the top of the bar intersecting said recess, saidmusic box mechanism being secured to the inner face of said bar andhaving its pull cord wound on a winding drum disposed in said recesswith the cord extending upwardly through said bore and inwardly in saidgroove, and a rectangular casing over said mechanism and said recess,the end Walls of said casing being disposed in contact with the innerface of said bar and the top and bottom walls of said casing beingextended and in contact with the top and bottom of said bar, theextended top wall of said casing having a notch to register with saidgroove, and means removably fastening the extended portions of the topand bottom walls of the casing to said bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS236,545 Brown Jan. 11, 1881 2,519,782 Mueller Aug. 22, 1950 2,641,775Bukolt June 16, 1953

